THE DUFAULT CONCERT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8654, 12 February 1914, Page 3

THE DUFAULT CONCERT

TENOR IN GREAT FORM It is with whole-hearted pleasure that Wellington music-lovers welcome Paul Dufault, the melodious tenor, to the city again. His work with lime. Nordica. has given him a great name; there were those, indeed, who said with conviction that his art eclipsed that of madame herself. Be that as it may; we have now Mr Dufault at the head of his own company, taking his right and proper place as a “star.” Last night a. big audience gathered in the Town Hall to hear him, and grew wildly enthusiastic over his wonderfully effective interpretations. Ho has a most versatile voice, and tins trait wag brought forcibly home to the audience in his sweetly sympathetic rendition of “Au Pays,” and, immediately following, a masterly reproduction of “Invictus” —the first a tender theme, the second a grandly martial air.

Mr Dufault follows close upon the heels of Mr John McCormack. When the latter was here, we all agreed that as a patriot he was grand; his rich brogue, his complete understanding of the sympathy in the famous Irish folk .songs, told us at once that in these he was a master. But Mr Dufault somehow goes deeper. We can imagine Mr McCormack in opera —how his costumes and general ensemble would help him to be most emotional and expressive. But we have Mr Dufault discarding the ensemble, and taking upon himself the task of putting in the emotion and the sympathy arid the feeling with his voice. And there you have the difference. Mr McCormack is grand; Mr Dufault is grander. His robust form and admirable presence, coupled with his power to touch the deepest chords of joy and pathos, changing from one to the other so quickly and perfectly, make his singing a thrill to hear. In short, he is a master-musician and a masterinterpreter. i No doubt can exist as to the feature of last night’s entertainment. It was the tenor’s magnificent interpretation of Holmes’s well-known “Au Pays.” ,-Mr Dufault dispensed with all the formality and stiffness that seem to govern colonial concerts, and briefly explained the song before he sang it. He gave the number in French, and the wonder of the interpretation was all the more apparent. The story of the ragged soldier coming home from the war to find his sweetheart married —then forlornly going back to the battle again, is told beautifully by Mr Dufault with the charming tenderness of his voice. All the clarity of the tenor’s fine voice is heard in the soldier’s concluding cry as his regiment leaves the village again—“Bataille I Bataille!” If the tenor gives this number at each of his concerts he will no doubt receive the thanks of all those who hear him.

Mr Dufault opened last night with the prayer from “Le Cid” (Massenet), his tragic interpretation being excellent. As an encore he gave "In a Garden'' (Hawley), and being called upon again gave Ware’s delightful "Boat-Song.” In the second part “Sylvelin” (Binding), “Au Pays” and “Invictus” (Bruno Huhn) were the numbers, the latter being rendered in a masterly fashion. As an encore, the tenor gave Frank Tours' delightful little theme “Mother o’ Mine,” • in which we heard Mr McCormack a few weeks ago. Comparisons would bo odious; let us say that by them neither artist would suffer much.

Miss Pauline Bindley, the soprano of the party, has a most pleasing voice, but her enunciation is bad so frequently that she quite fails in some of her numbers. She gave the • shadow song from “Dinorab” (Meyerbeer), but the interpretation was not so finished as that of “In My Garden” (Liddlo), which Miss Bindley gave as an. encore in the second part. In “I Know a Lovely Garden” (D’Hardelot), Miss Bindley was not heard to the best advantage, but in a duet, “It was a Lover and a Lass” with Mr Du fault, she was much better..

Mr Ernest Toy is a violinist with admirable execution, but, apparently, a decided lack of expression and emotion in his playing. His technique in “Souvenir de Moscow” (Wieniawski) was as accurate os the interpretation was altogether uninspiring. Air Toy also played “The Butterfly,” and responded to an encore with his best number of the evening—Elgar’s “ Saint d’Amour.” A word of praise is due to Mr Harold Whittle for his admirable work as accompanist to the party. A big portion of the success of Mr Default's singing of “ Au Pays” was duo to the fine accompaniment, Mi- Whittle most skilfully interpreting the beat of the French regiment’s retreating drums. SECOND CONCERT.

Air Dufault will give the second concert of his season at the Opera House to-night. The programme will bo a complete change from that of last evening. Air Dufault will sing the splendid aria from the “ Queen of Sheba,” and a number of delightful ballads, the majority in English. He will also include the dramatic song, “How’s My Boy?” which vies with “Invictus” in popularity. Aliss Bindley and Mr Dufault will sing the quaint duet, “Trip, Trip, Trip.” Aliss Bindley’s numbers will be all in English, and will include the aria from the second act of “ Aladame Butterfly.” Ernest Toy’s violin solos will include .the popular “ Yalse Caprice” by Wieniawski. The two remaining concerts will take place at the Opera •House to-morrow night and Saturday night. -